Text marketing is poised to become the next generation of connecting with your prospects and customers. Think about it. When you leave home, what do you take with you? If you’re like most people, you take your keys, your wallet and your cell phone (way more often than you take your PC).

Here are some startling statistics that will make you wake of and take notice.

1. Market size
Cell phones usage is on track to reach 5 billion over the next few years versus 1.8 billion internet users. This makes the mobile marketin three times larger. If you’re going for volume, it would silly to ignore this statistic. Even if you market to a niche industry, the chances are the buyers are mobile enabled.

95% of mobile phones have texting capabilities. 73% of new mobile phone buyers say text messaging is the most important feature. (Do your teenagers answer or return your calls to their cell phones as quickly as they do your texts?)

3. Usage
Every type of mobile interaction is on the rise. 50% SM interactions happen on cell phones. Online networks now send text messages to alert users of status updates. Mobile apps are almost addictive and keep users ‘plugged in’ to their mobile phones more than ever.

4. Supply vs. demand
350 billion text messages are exchanged monthly. Only 15% of texts include a marketing/commercial message, yet 30% consumers want coupons sent to phones. This represents a huge gap in unmet needs. Consumers are looking for deals they can access at a moments notice as they are out and about shopping and running errands.

Mobile marketing is particularly important if you have a storefront and are trying to get traffic to your store.

It’s no longer critical to even have a website since there are many online vehicles where you can have an online presence.

The important factor is that more and more people are buying smart phones and letting their fingers do the walking by searching for products and services from their phones rather than their desktops and definitely not with paper directories.

So make sure you’re getting onboard with this trend and stay tuned for more tips about how to get started.

I learned a ton recently about creating videos. I’ve also been studying how to use videos for marketing yourself and your business online.

Watch this video and then read the tips that follow:

1. Use an interesting (but not too distracting) background.
Having a background adds visual interest. Make sure it’s attractive, neat and adds either credibility or fun.

2. Use natural sunlight if at all possible
Natural light is the very best. It’s much cheaper than having to buy studio lights and works better than artificial light.

3. Add an opening title slide and credits or a call to action at the end.
These items will make your video look more professional. The call to action is what will drive traffic to your website if that’s what you’re trying to get people to do.

4. Include occasional comments to highlight certain points.
It’s easy to add text in Windows Movie Maker Live and iMovie. Again, this makes your ‘production’ seem more polished and professional.

5. Optimize your video for the key words you want to be known for.
YouTube is one of the most searched websites online. When you optimize your video by including keywords in the description and tags, people who are looking for what you’ve mentioned, will find your video more easily.

6. Use variety. Add a few special effects.
Variety will stimulate the minds of your viewers and keep them watching through to the end.

7. Be entertaining, not just educational.
When people are having fun or being deeply moved, they’ll stay engaged. Even if you’re training them on something, they’ll remember your message more if it engages their emotions in addition to stimulating their brains.

Video marketing is becoming the standard medium for branding and online communications. Make sure you incorporate this strategy in marketing plan.

Social media is all the rage these days, yet many business owners struggle to understand why they should bother to jump on the bandwagon. They are mystified about how to monetize their social media efforts.

Here are 3 reasons you can’t afford to miss this online ‘boat’ plus 3 simple things you can do to capitalize on this ‘Brave New World’.

1. Print media is dying and with it, print ads.
Even when it worked, advertising was primarily useful only for building brand awareness. Unless someone sees your ad at the moment they’re thinking of buying something or you have a killer sale going on, it’s likely that it won’t generate a sale for you.
2. Email marketing is dying – fast!
People are inundated with email these days. Many people receive over 100 per day, so the chances that yours will get read are really slim. If you don’t know the right techniques, your messages may never be seen.

3. Networking only works if you follow up quickly and most people don’t.
Actual face time is critical for building relationships and credibility. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to do that properly. So they smile, chit chat, shake a lot of hands, exchange a bunch of cards and that’s where the story ends.

2. Connect online where your ‘peeps’ are hanging out. Add value, build relationships. Share enough about yourself that people can get to know (and like) you. Make sure you have an account and profile on LinkeIn, Facebook and Twitter. Start a blog and make short, relevant comments on it regularly.

3. Attend networking events with a plan for the kind of people (industries, professions, etc.) that you want to meet. Ask other attendees if they will introduce you to them. Make a commitment to follow up with a few key people you meet at networking events, not to sell them right away, but to get to know them better to see if there really is a match for what you each do.

It’s simple to get started in social media. Make sure you have a strategy of who you’re trying to connect with and how you want to be known in those communities. You’re building a new reputation in a new world. Do it thoughtfully. Once you’re ‘in’, continually refine your efforts. Draw people into your lair by giving then once trust is built, make them offers they can’t refuse.